Why I accepted payment of N585m into private account – Tinubu’s Minister, Betta Edu

A document claiming that Minister Betta Edu allegedly transferred N585,198,500.00 into a personal account suggests that there is still more to come in the purported financial corruption crisis roiling the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation.

The Minister ordered that N585,198,500.00 be paid to one Oniyelu Bridget, according to a document that went viral and was signed by Edu and sent to the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation.

The document also demonstrated that N585.198 million had been sent into Oniyelu’s account from a grant intended for vulnerable people in the states of Lagos, Ogun, Cross River, and Akwa Ibom.

In response to the news, Rasheed Zubair, the Minister’s Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, stated that the payment of N585.198 million to the disadvantaged group was made in accordance with the law.

He explained that the fellowship recipient, Oniyelu Bridget, is the project accountant for grants to vulnerable groups, which is why the grant was paid to her account.

He clarified that the beneficiaries of the N585.198 million award were vulnerable populations in the states of Lagos, Ogun, Cross River, and Akwa Ibom.

In order to prevent unnecessary expenses, N585 million was granted. This money would be used to provide grants to vulnerable groups in the states of Lagos, Ogun, Cross River, and Akwa Ibom.

“Note that the GVG was originally introduced in Kogi State, where participants provided testimonies. Cross River and Akwa Ibom were introduced in December 2023. November saw the premiere of Kogi, and in the upcoming weeks, more will follow.

“The Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation is administering the Renewed Hope Grant for Vulnerable Groups, one of the Federal Government’s social intervention programs. The public is invited to take note of this.

“After the project or program is finished, it is legal for a staff member, the project accountant, to be paid and use the same funds lawfully and retire the same with all receipts and evidence,” he said. Oniyelu Bridget works as a project accountant for GVG and is employed by the Department of Finance.

The move sparked debate on social media among Nigerians, who questioned why a sizable portion of federal funds would be transferred to a single person’s account.

The payment of public cash to a private individual’s account is prohibited by the 2009 public sector financial regulations, it was learned.

According to Section 713 of the law, “Paying public funds into a private bank account or personal funds into a government bank account is strictly prohibited.” An officer is considered to have acted fraudulently if they transfer public funds into a private account.

Recall that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu removed Halima Shehu, the National Coordinator of the National Social Investment Programme Agency, an organization under Edu, just four days ago due to accusations of financial embezzlement.

As a result of an alleged N44 billion fraud, Halima Shehu was arrested and interrogated by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

The EFCC froze N30 billion that had been transferred from NSIPA’s accounts after conducting an inquiry.

A former Minister of the Ministry named Sadiya Umar-Farouq was also invited by the EFCC due to a financial scandal that was purportedly orchestrated by a single contractor named James Okwete.